Content Warning: Graphic Animal Death Symbolism at End
Elizabeth stared at herself and started to turn toward the sight of something that was gold, blue, black, and red, only to be pulled back by Odelina. “Don’t do that,” she said gently.
“What? Why not?” Elizabeth said, ready to fight, before she remembered herself, but Odelina just laughed.
It was so odd, seeing herself, but knowing it wasn’t her. But she…wasn’t sure why she knew it wasn’t her. At least, not anymore?
“You’re not ready yet. Your Mind still has to get used to this. But don’t worry. It’ll happen fairly quickly. Though you’ll have to deal with the arguments after,” Odelina, no…Elizabeth now.
Elizabeth was Odelina now. Seeing Elizabeth like this, with Odelina’s soul, told her…while she was still her, that label was now Odelina instead of Elizabeth.
“Someone just remembered something, and I wanted to tell you something too,” Elizabeth explained and Odealina reached down so their hands were clasped together. The calluses of the last year along Elizabeth’s palms and fingers rubbed against the softness of Odelina’s palms, while the calluses from their matched love of embroidery caught against each other.
“We both wanted this. And being here now, I’ve realized something. You’ll truly love Odelina’s brothers, and appreciate and build a relationship with them, with far more honesty and joy than I ever could. And I will build a family here, with the same love, joy, and honesty that you will there. I just wanted to thank you for that. For this chance of a family. Both found and, surprisingly, in some blood. I never thought that possible.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said and they were hugging as gold, silver, blue, and green flashed in the corner of Odelina’s vision.
Other colors flashed across the night sky of Earth and the night sky of Ethora, the Aurora Borealis of Earth mingling with the Aither of Ethora. “You’re welcome. And thank you, too. I’m glad we’ll both get what we want.”
“Have fun with the magic,” Elizabeth added and they were parting.
“Wh–”
The world suddenly rippled and then it felt like a gong was going off in her head. The stars began to shoot across the skies and agony woke Odelina up.
Odelina hissed, the pain of a headache waking her up. She quickly found the source, as it seemed she had fallen asleep sitting up in bed instead of at a gentle incline. Her embroidery was also spilled across her lap and she sighed, rubbing her neck.
“What did she mean by that?” Odelina muttered and sighed, deciding to leave it alone for now.
Her own fault, really.
She shouldn’t have been embroidering in bed and now she had to face the consequences of her actions. Well, at least she had something pretty to show for it. After all, Edmond would be starting on the Tourney Circuit soon, along with various knights hand-picked by the Viscounts of Magus, Archery, and Knights, with Edmond the only Viscount going since he was representing the House of Northsend.
And because she had shown interest yesterday at lunch, when it was just her & Edmond, she had gotten a crash course in the military
Neither Cavalry or Infantry would, or could, attend as they were the bulk of the military forces of Northsend. And as it was, only a handful of Magus, Archery, none of whom would be mounted, and Knights would be going.
There was also the important distinction between Knights and Cavalry in military terms. The Cavalry were more like shock troops. Quick to go in, hit, and run. The Knights were more like the Earth equivalent of tanks and generally were there to go crush something.
And the horses were further armored and protected to do just that.
The Cavalry was even further split down into specialized skills with a few dabbling into something or the other.
Which led to the Northsend Horses, split by build into Warhorse, Archer, and Scout. Which she had to look over now because she was going to be attaining the title of Viscountess of Northsend Manor. And the Horsemaster would report to her instead of Edmond for the duration of the Imperial Tourney.
Another reason that she had gotten the tangent from Edmond.
Which was why she had been embroidering instead of sleeping.
She sighed quietly and ran her fingers over the Favour she had made for Edmond.
It was on green silk, and she had stitched the usual sisterly things of crossed swords at the corners. If it was romantic it would include flowers, but this just had a swan that was armored.
She thought he would appreciate it.
He reminded her of a swan in a lot of ways, if more obviously dangerous.
She slowly adjusted till she was at that ideal slight incline and then reached over to the bell and shook it.
It wasn’t long before Thea slipped in from her bathing room. “Your Ladyship!” they greeted warmly, and softly as they ran over. “Is everything alright?”
“Ah, no Thea. It seems I am meeting with the consequences of my own actions. Could you get an ice pack for me? And ask for a light breakfast with the curtains drawn in the family dining room? I have a feeling light will aggravate, but that’s really the only time we can meet up, since Edmond is readying for the Tourney circuit and Thurston has to go to Cythenian, we won’t have much time left to talk,” Odelina said.
Thea nodded and made sure she was comfortable as possible before they hurried back out through the servants’ entrance in the bathing room.
Odelina pressed her hand to her forehead and turned her head to look at the paperwork on her delicate table. “I need my own office,” she muttered, realizing that being Acting Viscountess of Northsend Manor was going to be a nightmare without one.
Tomorrow. She would deal with it tomorrow.
Thurston glanced up as Odelina glided into the room.
She was wearing one of the floral dresses that made it look like she was wearing a garden. One that was far too puffy and likely only didn’t catch on her wheels because of the liberal use of magic. “Hello, Thurston. Sorry to skep the niceties, but I need an office till I have the official title of Viscountess of the Manor,” she said and he winced at the fact he had forgotten to make sure his little sister had what she needed to do what was needed.
And here he was hoping they could just hit out the budget talks. “Damn it, yes,” he said quietly. “Has everything been sorted for tomorrow?”
“I just need the budget, but otherwise yes.”
Thurston rubbed his temples, privately cursing the idiocy of their parents again and leaving them this mess. He sighed and leaned forward, wondering if Edmond was going to mysteriously show up with that decadent insanity of a chocolate mousse cake with strawberries on it. “Shit, shit,” he muttered. “And the trainings are starting. This is the worst time for our parents to have decided to go get themselves killed with their stupidity. Seriously. We have knights.”
Odelina nodded in agreement as she reached over to tug at the summoning pull cord and Thurston sighed. She was right in that she couldn’t just take over Mother’s former office. Until he was officially the new Duke of Northsend, doing any permanent changes would be seen as needing to investigate.
And the last thing he wanted was an Imperial Investigation, especially since Emperor Balthasar Diem had been eyeing Hostage Spouses. Those fifth and lower were essentially there to make people behave. The former heir of Count Hermannus was in that position now.
Then again, Thurston would be investigating him once he was the Duke of Northsend. He frowned and looked down before he sighed heavily. “Ugh. Odelina?”
“A pad? Yeah, I have a few extras since I’m irregular,” she said with a smile and reached into that embroidery kit she had on her wheelchair. It was wrapped in linen, tied tight, and she passed it over to him.
“Thank you. I’ll be right back,” Thurston said and stood up, taking off his shirt sleeves before heading to his toilet room attached to the office.
Odelina was on his sofa when he came back out and he collected up the budget for the dressmaker, as well as the other budgets she would need. “You’ll have to also call up a jeweler since it seems you are going to be changing up your whole wardrobe, and such. When I get back, we’ll figure out everything else. And hope that the Emperor doesn’t decide to do an Imperial Investigation. The budgets are all the old ones Mother had made up.”
Odelina looked curious at that. “Why do we want to hide from one so specifically right now? We’re not due for a Marriage of Reaffirmation for another two generations.”
“Because Emperor Balthasar seems to be on a Hostage Spouse spree. And he likely has his eyes on you,” Thruston admitted.
She made a face of disgust at that, even as knock came from his office door, since his was one of the few without a servants’ entry into his office. Then again, the amount they had were why they used Arcana Contracts.
“Come in,” he called and smiled a bit when Maid Roots, the youngest daughter of Baron Roots, came in with the tea tray.
“Marcher Grey today,” she said warmly as she put it down and before Thurston could ask, Edmond leaned in with a grin, holding a bigger box of that chocolate mousse cake than normal.
Thurston hesitated and then sighed. “Fine,” he said and Edmond grinned before he moved in to join them.
Odelina leaned back slightly on the sofa with the basket in her room as she worked on spinning her own thread with a drop spindle, letting her body memory mostly take care of it as her mind and soul got used to it.
She could easily get what she needed before the first ball of the season, which opened with the Imperial Sect of the Tourney. It was also the ball that all children of nobility had their debut at if they turned 18 the week though she…had to figure out what the date was.
Honestly, she would likely spend more on getting wheelchairs made for the various attendances she would start making this year than the dresses, considering she needed arcana stones anchored into them. “We’ll need to get the wheelchair for the balls done first out of all the wheelchairs I’ll be ordering, just in case that budget will only cover one. My everyday wheelchair will do in a pinch with some minor editing for tea parties and the ball one can have pieces hidden to settle for an evening performance. At least no one expects me to have one to match every dress. Be sure to have all the ballgowns out on mannequins when the wheelchair maker arrives,” Odelina ordered quietly as she continued to spin, Thea sitting on the sofa next to her helping with the thread.
“Yes, Your Ladyship,” she said brightly as she wound the thread for use later.
“I would like to get the ball wheelchair designed before I order the jeweler to arrive. I would like to have my jewelry not only compliment my ballgowns but also the wheelchair to make a full ensemble,” Odelina continued, wondering if Thea would like to be her lady’s maid.
After all, someone she trusted was hard to find.
“Yes, Your Ladyship,” Thea said warmly as she settled the bobbin in place and got to work on the next.
“Thank you,” Odelina said calmly as she finished up the last of the thread, Thea reaching over so that she could take over despite Odelina’s faint look of bemused annoyance at that. “The first ball is not until the Imperial Sect of the Tourney is a week away anyway.”
She waited till Thea had gotten them tea before she broached it. “Thea, would you like to be my lady’s maid?”
Thea bumbled her tea cup anyway and Odelina resisted the urge to smile.
“You can think on it. I can’t get one till Thurston is Duke anyway. Take your time. You’re still the one I trust anyway,” Odelina reassured with a warm smile as she sipped at the chamomile tea.
Odelina opened her eyes, feeling a bit off. There was a ripple as she moved forward and lights came from her wheelchair, rippling out like water across a pond, light slowly filling the space, like the rising of the moon.
It held that odd feeling to it, like it was both night and a memory all at once. Slowly, so very slowly, a rotting tree appeared on an island in a lake with the first blooms of spring began to appear.
And in front of the tree was a dead swan.
“What?”
The swan was the gold of their coat of arms and it looked like someone had strangled it with thread, three silver feathers falling limply from the head.
…The symbol for the third born
Her.
She slowly looked past the tree to find Northsend Manor, decaying from the inside out.
Betrayal from the home, she couldn’t help but think.
And then it felt like she was inside a bell just as it was rung.
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